Speed Without the Soundtrack: How Lexus F-Sport Plans to Survive Without a V8

© A. Krivonosov

Lexus is searching for new meaning for F-Sport in an era without the V8. The chief engineer of the new ES, Kohei Chiashi, has said that for a future performance version he would personally choose a fully electric powertrain rather than a hybrid.

The reason lies in the character of the electric drive. It delivers instant response and allows torque to be split more precisely between the axles. Even now the Lexus ES500e can, in certain modes, send up to 100% of available torque to the rear axle. For the driver this isn’t a drift mode but a way to make a large electric sedan feel livelier and more stable through corners.

That is exactly why Lexus is in no hurry to release a separate ES F-Sport. According to the engineer, the ES500e already covers many of the tasks that were once handled by a sports package: quick response, confident acceleration and a more active chassis.

For fans of the brand it is a painful but logical turn. Naturally aspirated V8s and the sound of the old F models are fading into the past, and F-Sport will have to prove its character by other means — suspension tuning, software, torque and the behaviour of the rear axle.

The main risk is obvious: speed without emotion easily turns into mere numbers. Lexus needs to make sure the electric F-Sport doesn’t just accelerate quickly but actually feels special. Silence and torque alone are no longer enough.